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Friend
Since our last newsletter, we've had a flurry of new
titles (71 boxes in all!); a mixture of European, old &
new favourites. Below, we look at a few - just to whet
your appetite!
The Chocolate Rush festival in Bendigo was a great
success; chocolate demonstrations galore, hands-on-
workshops and lots of tasting. Chocolate is definitely
the new 'black'. The old Bendigo School of Mines was
a wonderful location and the event will be on again
next year - mark the first week of August in your
diary. In fact some of the demonstrations
were so succesful that we are thinking of having Allan
Campion run his Tasting Chocolate classes in store,
just to keep our tastebuds in tune - watch this space.
And a reminder - 7pm this Thursday night, Paul
Wilson,
Chef of the Iconic Melbourne Restaurant, the Botanical
will be in store to chat about his new book, share
some tastes and a few kitchen stories. If you are free,
please drop in as there are a few spots left
And last, a couple of specials. Every now and then a
publisher will surprise us and make a deal on a really
good, interesting cookbook. In this case we managed
to pick up a few copies of two fascinating regional
cookbooks such that we can offer them to you for 55%
off.
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The return of a classic
French Provincial Cooking by Elizabeth David
We're often asked what our favourite cookbook is.
Usually we 'umm' and 'err' for a while (as it really is
hard to choosee), but when pushed to name just one,
we usually cheat and exclaim 'Elizabeth David' hoping
that we don't have to choose just one of her delightful
books. It used to be easier as they weren't readily
available in hardcover but....now its got just a little bit
harder to choose as French Provincial Cooking has
just been reissued as a facsimile hardcover
Elizabeth David's books belong in the libraries of
everyone who loves to read and prepare food and this
one is generally regarded as her best; her passion
and knowledge comes through on every page
She was one of the foremost writers on food in the
latter half of the 20th century and this book has some
of her most celebrated writing. French Provincial
Cooking should be approached and read as a series
of short stories, as well written and evocative as the
best literature. The voice is highly personal and
opinionated, sometimes sharp but always true and
always entertaining. Here is a long essay on French
cuisine, offering background stories and sketches of
recipes more than the slavishly didactic type of
recipes that most modern readers might be used to
today.
For many Elizabeth David was the first to introduce us
to the French notion of la cuisine terroir, sometimes
interpreted as `what grows together goes together'.
For David, this is the heart of regional cooking, and the
thing which most distinguishes it from cooking in
haute cuisine restaurants where diners arrive at any
time or any season and expect to be able to order any
well known French speciality.
One of the passages which best characterizes David's
approach to a lot of cooking is her opening statement
on the perfect omelette: `As everybody knows, there is
only one infallible recipe for the perfect omelette: your
own.'
The book starts with a short essay on each of the
major culinary regions of France, starting perhaps not
surprisingly with Provence which is blessed with an
abundance of produce. The largest portion of the book
consists of chapters on cuisine by type of dish:
Sauces, Hors-D'oeuvres and Salads, Soups, Eggs
and Cheese, Pates and Terrines, Vegetables, Fish,
Shellfish, Meat, Composite Meat Dishes, Poultry and
Game and Sweet dishes.
The book is all the more valuable in that it paints a
picture of a cooking style which existed before modern
equipment such as the food processor. Most
importantly, the recipes work if your aim is to produce
the most excellent food imaginable. What initially may
seem to be annoying details (e.g., for omelettes,
eggs 'should not really be beaten at all, but stirred,'
whereas for scrambled eggs, they should be 'very well
beaten') are actually secrets to be treasured, that
elevate a good dish to a superb one. The lesson is
that good food should be done simply, but it takes
care, attention to detail, and frequently, time.
In true David fashion, the book finishes with an
exacting bibliography and an exhortation to collect
good cookbooks.
Format: 8vo hardcover 528pp
Price: $39.95
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Instore Event Thursday 9 August 2007
The Botanical by Paul Wilson
We've been hearing about this book for almost two
years now. All good things take time and this is no
exception! This will be one of the best chef orientated
books this year!
Please join us for an evening instore with Paul
Wilson on Thursday 9 August. As usual
there will be tastes from the book (we're working on
the prawn cocktails, poulet verte and mandarin
puddings as I write) and the chance to
have an intimate chat with one of Melbourne's leading
chefs.
Author Information:
Paul Wilson has been described as one of the most
extraordinary culinary talents in Australia and England
and continues to receive critical acclaim for crafting
inspiring dishes that take an innovative approach to
traditional cuisine. Paul has headed the
Conran restaurant Quaglino's in London (where at the
age of 27 he was awarded the prestigious Acorn
Award), and in Australia has relaunched retail icon
Georges and brought Radii to high acclaim.
In 2002 he was ordained Chef of the Year in the Age
Good Food Guide. In the same year he joined owner
Chris Lucas at the Botanical, winning restaurant of the
year and has never looked back.
Synopsis:
After two years at the top of Melbourne's dining tree,
Botanical remains in glorious bloom. The dining
experience is outstanding: Paul Wilson crafting truly
inspiring dishes for the modern brasserie menus. -
The Age Good Food Guide 2006, score 17/20,
awarded 2 chef hats.
Botanical is a dazzling collection of more than 100
recipes by award-winning chef Paul Wilson from the
iconic Botanical restaurant. The restaurant, located in
the heart of South Yarra, Melbourne, across the road
from the Royal Botanic Gardens, is an institution in the
Australian food scene. It has experienced a
fascinating transformation from popular local watering
hole to one of the best restaurants in the country.
Paul Wilson takes you through his signature Botanical
creations as well as new recipes created for the home
cook, always showcasing the best and freshest local
produce. Experience the delectable flavours of Warm
Poached Egg with Truffles, Reggiano and Soft
Polenta; the rustic richness of Hickory-roasted Côte
du Boeuf, Bordelaise style; the delicate briny texture of
Jumbo St Helen's Pacific Oysters with Horseradish,
Pickled Cucumber and Osietra Caviar; or the delicious
Hazelnut and Cappuccino Crème Brûlée with Warm
Chocolate Doughnuts and Biscotti.
Botanical is more than a cookbook. It's also a
celebration of the brasserie's acclaimed wine list and
its renowned glass-covered wine wall, its cocktails
and bars, wine store and of course its loyal clientele.
Illustrated with beautiful photography of the food and
conviviality, Botanical takes you behind the scenes of
one of the most exciting restaurants today.
ISBN: 9781740663946
Hardie Grant Books
Format: Hardcover (large)
Price: $85.00
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Feasts by Silvana Rowe
Food for Sharing from Central and Eastern Europe
Winter demands comfort food, and Eastern Europe
does it in spades; root vegetables, dumplings,
smoked meats, sticky sweet indulgences mixed with
exotic sweet and sour vaguely middle eastern
flavourings all demand cold weather and warm fires.
The fresh ingredients and unfamiliar flavour
combinations of Eastern Europe are really capturing
the imaginations of shops and restaurants in the
West, as borders open up and Europe is extended.
Alongside delicious recipes from Bulgarian cook and
food writer Silvena Rowe, Feasts features stunning
location photography of the grand cafes and hotels,
street markets, home kitchens, farms and patisseries
of countries from Georgia to Hungary to Poland.
You'll find delicious dishes such as goulash, light and
delicate chilled summer soups, game fresh from the
forest, fruit sauces for meat and smoked meat and
fish dishes are just some of the types of dishes to be
found in this book. .
Flavours such as horseradish, dill, caraway, and
paprika, ingredients such as game, smoked fish and
vodka, earthy vegetables such as beetroots,
pumpkins and cabbages, and exotic fruits such as
pomegranates, figs, quinces and plums - lie at the
heart of this delightful book
Format: 4to Hardcover 192pp Illustrated
Price: $29.95 (was $54.95) whilst stocks last
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The Calcutta Kitchen
by Simon Parkes & Udit Sarkhel
Rich with cultural detail and sumptous photographs,
The Calcutta Kitchen captures the essence of the
Bengali passion for good food, its authenticity, its
freshness, its part in social occasions and the
pleasure of serving to guests at table.
Calcutta has embraced influences from around the
world, most notably, the English, Armenians, Jews,
Tibetans, Chinese, Burmese and the Portuguese and
this book has a taste of each of these cuisines:
Bengali fish curry with aubergine, cauliflower & potato;
mulligatawny; lamb trotter broth; noodles witha
Burmese coconut curry; Nepalese steamed
dumplings; and of course, Bengali sweets to name
just a few.
This book brings you both recipes from one of the
best known Bengali chefs, Udit Sarkhel and
snapshots and reflections upon the fish ponds,
markets, artisan food producers, restaurants, clubs,
cooks, gourmet & street foods that play an integral
part in the city's rich heritage.
Format: 4to HC 192pp Illustrated
Price: $29.95 (was $54.95) whilst stocks last
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Fagioli: the bean cuisine of Italy
by Judith Barrett
Sometimes the best way to make a quick meal, is to
prepare a slow meal in advance. Beans make soups
and stews; and a winter never goes by without a few
good hearty chunky stews - perfect with a Heathcote
Shiraz
This is not a new book, but one that deserves another
look. From thick, rich minestrone with beans and
vegetables, to delectable chickpea fritters, here are
124 easy-to-prepare, delicious, authentic favorites-in
the only cookbook devoted solely to the glories of
Italian bean cookery
Satisfying, nutritious, wonderfully adaptable, and one
of the least expensive forms of protein, beans are an
integral part of the cuisines of cultures all over the
globe. This is especially true in Italy today, where you
can find hundreds of bean recipes from nearly every
region and where, for most families, eating beans is
as fundamental as eating pasta. In Fagioli, Barrett
celebrates the bean cuisine of Italy in all its splendid
variety and versatility.
Format: 4to oblong Hardcover 288pp
Price: $35
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That's all from us this week.
Next time we'll be telling you about our upcoming
lunch with Rick Stein on Tuesday 9 October to
celebrate the launch of his new book 'Mediterranean
Escapes'
"For me he is the nonpareil telly chef because he
always makes me drool like a slobberhound...Stein is
like a plateful of smoked haddock, poached egg and
mashed potatoes, a combination that is both
unbeatably satisfying and fun." Kathryn Flett Observer
Food Monthly
Published to accompany Rick Stein's new ten-part
television series for BBC2, this new book starts where
French Odyssey left off - at the mouth of the Rhone in
the port of Marseilles. Reluctantly abandoning his
idyllic canal boat, the Anjodi, Rick takes to the public
ferry system which plies between the islands and
coastlines of the Mediterranean. - but more next time!
Regards & Best Wishes
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Just to prove how hard it is to only have one Elizabeth
David book, we just had to mention, Elizabeth David
Classics: a combined volume (in facsimile) of books
1,2 and 4 by Elizabeth David. This is one of our
permanent best sellers and the copy at home is well
thumbed as there are favourite recipes in every part.
Due 1 September, this year's Seasonal Produce Diary
looks to be the best yet. Chock full of the essential
seasonal produce information, farmers market
details, and great weekly recipes, this functional
foodie's diary has had a makeover and is now utterly
glamourous as well as reliably practical.